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Catching the Tigers
Halfway through the boys basketball season, it's pretty obvious that Newton North is the team to beat. The defending Division 1 state champions have not missed a beat (with the exception of their close encounter with Wellesley to start the season). Eight days ago, they went on the road and showed then Globe No. 2 New Bedford who was boss by beating the Whalers 85-74 in front of a raucous packed house of 3,000.
So how do you beat top-ranked Newton North? Player of the Year front runner Anthony Gurley and Corey Lowe form the best backcourt in the state -- that much is certain. But there will be days when one of the two Division 1 talents won't be at the top of their game. That's what happened in New Bedford. Lowe struggled mightily against Whaler point guard Brian Rudolph. He finished with 16 points, but many of those came in the last five minutes when the game was in hand for Newton North. Gurley delivered the kind of performance you'd expect from a Wake Forest-bound combo guard. But Newton North's saving grace was the play of Darius Abramson, who took advantage of New Bedford's bulkless interior defense, scoring 12 points and ripping down 7 rebounds. It wasn't just the points though. Abramson and fellow forward Brandon Stephens gave the Tigers tough nosed attitude in the paint to compliment their otherworldly guards.
So here's Zach's three step formula to beat Newton North:
Step 1: Control the interior
During the course of any 32 minute contest, both Gurley and Lowe will find a way to get theirs. It's keeping the other three players in orange and black as inactive as possible. Newton North is nearly unstoppable in transition, so it is vital that teams rebound with reckless abandon to stop the outlet passes from finding Gurley, Lowe and sharpshooter Jason Riffe.
Step 2: Stop penetration
The attribute that separates Gurley and Lowe from the rest of the pack is their strength. Sure, they're quick. But they possess very, shall we say, mature bodies. Once either gets in the lane, defenders, who laterally can stay step for step with them, bounce off as they extend their arms and explode. Both players have tremendous range, but shooting percentages for almost all players drop the further away from the basket they get. Lowe especially can become enamored with the deep three-pointer, an obsession that led to his poor performance against New Bedford.
Step 3: You better have good guards
It goes without saying that having strong backcourt play is necessary for glory in the postseason. There cannot be a weak link in the backcourt if you expect to beat the Tigers. Guards must make Lowe and Gurley work on the defensive end. They also need to try and take the Tigers' stars out of what they like to do on the offensive end. Obviously, this is easier said then done. But this is much easier to do if you have good guards.
This formula comes with the caveats that either Lowe or Gurley is struggling and the complimentary players (see: Riffe, Abramson) are unable to get involved. Without those exceptions, Newton North is in a different class.
I'd like to hear Tiger-beating theories from any other enlightened parties.
